Tamping device for semiplastic pumps



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TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS Filed Jan. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 /& /5

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May 16, 1950 K. s; CLAPP TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1945 May 16, 1950 K. s. CLAPP 2,507,883

TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS Filed Jan. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ill I 55 5 54 I l t i v ,55 I 72 0 x 9 .52 w S K L 1.1

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TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS Filed Jan. 11, 1945 6 Sheecs$heet 4 [N V EN TOR.

May 16, 1950 K. s. CLAPP 2,507,888

TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS Filed Jan. 11, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR.

May 16, 1950 K. s. CLAPP TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 11, 1945 INVENTOR. Maw

mm W Z llllll-nlllllll v Www fi Patented May 16, 1950 TAMPING DEVICE FOR SEMIPLASTIC PUMPS Kenneth S. Clapp, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 11, 1945, Serial No. 572,384

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the problem of dispensing semi-plastics, caulking materials, viscous materials, greases and the like from containers through a discharge conduit to the point of application.

Most pumping devices for this purpose are the piston type as it requires a high pump discharge pressure to force these heavy materials through a conduit due to the skin friction of the material. Such high discharge pressure demands a small discharge conduit to withstand the high pressure.

Heavy consistency materials such as semi-plastics and greases will not flow continuously to the inlet opening of a pump merely by vacuum created in the pump chamber. Light consistency semiplastic materials and greases become thick and jelly-like at temperatures of 40 and 50 F. Many greases that will flow or seek their own level at 70 to 80 F. become semi-solids at temperatures slightly above 32 F. Hence temperature changes increase the problem of pumping these materials. Many devices for dispensing these materials employ a follower plate resting on the surface of the material and rely on atmospheric pressure to direct the material to the pump inlet. Other follower plates are power driven by rackets or air pressure or some other motive means. When any type of a follower plate is employed, air in the material is trapped between the surface of the material and the intake of the pump so that material ceases to discharge from the pump and the pump chambers become air bound.

Air trapped in any materials, whether liquids or greases or semi-plastics, decreases the efficiency of the pumping unit and demands continuous servicing to release air pockets in the pump chamber.

An object of this invention is to provide tamping and agitation means for the automatic elimination of air from the heavy materials.

Another object of this invention is that the tamping device shall direct and force the material to the inlet opening of the pump.

Another object of the invention is to operate the tamping device from the same actuating mechanism that operates the pump.

Another object of the invention is that the tamping device shall direct a greater quantity of the material toward the inlet opening of the culties so that his full time and efforts can be 1} rial from scoring or damaging the pump parts and holding the valves open.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunc- 5 tion with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional vertical view of a pump and container in which my tamping device may be employed, the lower end of the pump and the tamping device being shown in full in order to illustrate the outline of the device;

Figure 2 is an enlarged View of the tamping device shown in Figure 1, taken along the line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the packing blades of the packing device being shown in full;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View of a pump and container, showing a modified adaptation of my tamping device;

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary top view of the device shown in Figure 4, wherein the pump and tamping device are operated by a fluid motor instead of by hand as shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a plan view of a modified form of my tamping device;

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-4 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view like Figure 1, but with the tamping device of Figure 6 mounted around the collar attached to the lower end of the reciprocating cylinder; and

Figure 9 is a view like Figure 4, but with the tamping device of Figure 6 mounted around the collar attached to the lower ends of the reciprocating rods.

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, my tamping device is illustrated generally by the reference character It and may be adapted to operate with a pump indicated generally by the reference character H. The pump may be of the manually operated type and is adapted to be mounted in a container 12 for dispensing a semiplastic material from the container. As illustrated, the pump may be suspended from a cover 2| which may be removably connected to the upper end of the container 12 by means of the thumb screws 20. Integrally connected with the cover 2| is a hood l4 to which a handle I3 is pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin I5. The left-hand end of the handle I3 is provided with a segment of gear teeth l8 which mesh with rack teeth is for operating the pump. In the upper part of the hood I4 is an outlet 22 through which a discharge conduit l6 may be connected. A spring biased ball check valve I! is provided in the outlet 22.

She handle it is adapted to reciprocally operate a reciprocally mounted tube 2 5 which has a movable cylinder 29 threadably connected on the lower end of the tube 25 by means of threads 38. The upper end of the reciprocally mounted tube 2% is connected to the rack teeth block l9 by threads 25. The reciprocally mounted tube 2-1 is arranged to slidably move within a bearing surface 28 provided in the cover 2| for the container. Mounted within the reciprocally mounted tube 24 is a hollow stationary piston rod 2'! having its upper end connected to the upper part of the hood M by threads To the lower end of the hollow stationary piston rod 21 is connected a stationary piston 3| by threads 32. The stationary piston 3i is. substantially hollow and is provided with a spring biased ball check valve 33 therein. To the lower end of the movable cylinder 2% is connected a cylindrical inlet housing 32' by means of the threads 38. The cylindrical inlet housing 3'! is provided with an inlet valve 39 which is biased to its closed position by means of a spring 46. A strainer ll is provided in the lower open end of the cylindrical inlet housing 31'.

In operation, when the handle [3 is moved up and down it imparts a reciprocal movement to the movable cylinder 29 for dispensing a semiplastic material from the container out through the conduit i5. Upon the down-stroke of the movable cylinder 29 the spring biased bail check valve 33 is closed and the material which is to be pumped is drawn in through the strainer 4| past the inlet valve 39 and into the entrance chamber 23. Upon the up-stroke of the movable cylinder 23 the dispensing material which is trapped in the entrance chamber 23 by the closing of the inlet valve 36 is caused to move upwardly into the hollow stationary piston 3| past the ball check valve 33. The continued reciprocal operation of the movable cylinder 29 causes the dispensing material to rise into the hollow stationary piston rod 2'! until the dispensing material reaches the top thereof where it is dispensed out through the discharge conduit I6 past the ball check valve I'l. Upon the downward stroke of the movable cylinder 29, the dispensing material is caused to flow into the entrance chamber 23 by the combined action of a vacuum created in the entrance chamber 23 since the ball check valve ((3 is closed taken in conjunction with a forcible ramming action of the movable cylinder inlet housing 31 into the material which is to be dispensed. In ot er words, there are two forces. aiding to feed the material which is to be dispensed into the pump cylinder; namely, the vacuum created in the entrance chamber 23 and the forcibly ramming of the cylinder inlet housing 3'! into the material in the container whereby the material which is to be dispensed is rammed into the pump vacuum entrance chamber 23. The combined action of the vacuum and the packing of the material within the entrance chamber 23 functions simultaneously to prevent my dispensing pump from becoming air bound which often occurs when a vacuum only is relied upon. The downward movement of the cylindrical inlet housing 32 into the material packs the material therein and expels the air which is contained in the material, with the result that the material which enters the entrance chamber 23 is substantially free of air pockets.

My tamping device [0 is connected to the movable cylinder 29 and is arranged to be reciprocally operated within the material within the container as the pump is operated. As illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, my tamning device comprises generally a collar 42 having substantially radially extending pins 53 about which are hinged a plurality of blades 46. The collar 4?. may be threadably connected to the outside of the movable cylinder 29 and is locked in position by the cylinder inlet housing 3*; being abutted thereagainst. In the drawings I have illustrated four radially extending pins 43 but it is to be understood that any number may be employed. Mounted to each of the pins 43 are two hinged blades 46. Upon the upward movement of the tamping device within the material, the blades 46 hinge downwardly, making substantially an included angle of 60 degrees, see Figure l. The folding of the blades downwardly is arrested when the blades strike an annular tapered shoulder 44 provided on the lower end of the collar 42. When the blades 46 have completed their upward stroke and then reverse and move downwardly they come in contact with the material and thus spread outwardly or flatten so that the material is trapped under them whereby the downward movement forces and packs the material toward the inlet opening of the cylinder inlet housing 31. The spreading of the blades outwardly upon their downward stroke is ar rested when the blades engage an annular shoulder 41 provided upon the upper end of the collar 42. The annular shoulder 41 is so disposed that the blades upon their downward stroke substantially lie in the same horizontal plane. The blades 45 function substantially as hinges about the radially extending pins Q3. The blades :6 are held from sliding on of the pins by means of a snap wire ring 45 provided in a suitable groove upon the ends of the pin. The pins may be threadably connected to the collar 42' by any suitable means such as by threads or by a solid pressed fit. Inasmuch as the blades are caused to spread outwardly upon their downward movement and to collapse inwardly upon their upward movement, a greater quantity of material is forced toward the bottom of the container during the reciprocation of the movable cylinder 29 than is forced upwardly away from the entrance of the pump. In addition to the fact that the blades force the material downwardly into the vicinity of the entrance of the pump, they also work the material so that all of the air has been eliminated out of the material before it enters the pump. In other words, the repeated reciprocation of the tamping mechanism It churns out the air which isnormally trapped in the material so that solid material enters, the pump. When the blades d5 move downwardly they press the material towards the bottom of the container and the air which is in the material is squeezed out and passes outside the container as the cover of the container is not air-tight and thus permits the venting of the air in the material out to atmosphere.

In Figure 4 I show an adaptation of my tamping device which is now designated as the reference character 99 to a pump having a stationary cylinder and a movable piston. The pump is designated by the reference character 5| and is adapted to be suspended in the container 50 from a cover 52. The pump is operated by a handle 53 which is pivotally connected to a hood 54 by means of a pivot pin 55. The hood is integrally connected to the cover and the cover in turn may be removably connected to the upper end of the container by means of thumb screws 69; The left-hand end of the handle 53 is provided with a segment of gear teeth 59 which mesh with rack teeth 59 for operating the piston of the pump. An outlet 62 is provided in the upper portion of the hood 54 through which a discharge conduit 56 may be threadably connected. A spring biased ball check valve 93 may be provided within the outlet 62.

The rack teeth 59 are connected to the upper end of a piston rod 64. The lower end of the piston rod 6 5 has a piston 65 threadably connected thereto which reciprocally operates within a stationary cylinder 58 threadably connected by means of threads 69 to a stationary hollow tube 67. The upper end of the stationary hollow tube Si is threadably connected by means of threads 19 to the centrally disposed flange integrally connected to the cover 52. The upper end of the stationary hollow tube 91 is closed by means of a packing H which surrounds the piston rod 64. The packing I! may be held in by a suitable packing gland 12. The lower end of the stationary cylinder 98 has threadably connected thereto a cylindrical inlet housing 13 which has mounted therein a valve 15 biased to the closed position by means of a spring 16. A strainer ll is provided in the lower end of the cylindrical inlet housing 73. The piston 65 is substantially hollow and is provided with a spring biased ball check valve 95 and upon the downward stroke of the piston 95 material which is trapped within the pump chamber is caused to flow past the ball check valve 99 and upwardly through a bore 8'! which communicates with an annular space 96 between the piston rod 6d and the inside surface of the stationary hollow tube 91. The material being pumped upon reaching the upper end of the annular space 89 flows outwardly from the stationary hollow tube 6'! into a connecting tube 5! that is connected to the outlet 92. Upon the upward stroke of the piston 95 the ball check valve 99 is closed and a vacuum is created within the pump chamber for drawing in the material through the strainer H and past the valve 75 into the pump chamber. Continued operation of the handle 53 up and down operates the pump for dispensing material from the container out through the discharge conduit 55.

In Figure l the tamping device 99 is reciprocally mounted on the outside of the stationary hollow cylinder 93 and is arranged to be reciprocally operated up and down by means of connecting rods l9 which have their upper ends connected to a yoke plate 89 anchored to the lower end of the rack tooth block 59 by means of a nut 3!. The lower end of the actuating rod 19 may be threadably connected to a collar 78 which makes a sliding fit with the outside surface of the stationary cylinder 69. The construction of the tamping device 49 in Figure 4 is substantially the same as the tamping device indicated by the reference character H] in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and comprises four pins 82 threadably connected to the collar 18. Each of the pins 82 carry two blades 83 which operate like hinges in the same manner as described with reference to the tamping device in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Upon the upward stroke, the blades 83 collapse downwardly until they engage a tapered annular shoulder 85 provided on the lower end of the collar 13. In the collapsed position the included angle between the blades is substantially 60 degrees. Upon the downward stroke the blades spread outwardly until they engage an annular shoulder 84 provided upon the upper end of the collar 18 at which point the blades substantially lie in a horizontal plane. The operation of the tamping device 49 in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that previously described with reference to the tamping device It] in the Figures 1, 2 and 3 and functions to pack the material which is to be dispensed downwardly in the container and the action is such that a greater quantity of material is forced towards the bottom of the container during the downward stroke than is forced upwardly from the entrance of the pump upon the upward stroke.

In Figure 5 I show a modification of the invention in Figure 4 in that the hood 54 is provided with a fluid motor 99 for operating the pump and the tamping devices. The handle is dispensed with. The fluid motor may be of any suitable reciprocating type and may be controlled by suitable means at a remote point by the operator at the end of a hose connected to the discharge conduit 56.

In Figures 6 and 7 I show a modified form of a tamping device 98, the Figure 6 showing a plan view of the device and the Figure 7 of a cross-sectional view taken along the line 17 of Figure 6. As illustrated, the tamping device 99 of Figures 6 and 7 comprises generally a centrally located adapted collar 92 around which is mounted a rim 93. Between the rim 93 and the adapter collar 92 are a plurality of tamping elements 9 1, each comprising substantially an inverted channel member having a vertical side and a sloping side 96. The vertical side 95 is foreshortened, whereby its vertical depth is less than the vertical depth of the side rim 93. The tamping device 98 of Figures 6 and 7 may be suitably actuated either by the movable cylinder 29 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or by the connecting rods 19 as shown in Figure 4.

As illustrated, Figure 8 shows the tamping device 98 of Figure 6 mounted around the collar 32, which is attached to the lower end of the reciprocating cylinder 29. In this embodiment, the adapter collar 92 of the tamping device 99 fits in the collar 42 and replaces the tamping device which comprises the plurality of blades 46. The Figure 9 illustrates the tamping device 98 in Figure 6 mounted in the collar 18, attached to the lower end of the reciprocating rod 19. In Figure 9 the tamping device 98 replaces the tamping devices comprising the blades 49. In both Figuges 8 and 9, the tamping device 98 may revolve around the collars 42 and 19, respectively. As the tamping elements 94 are pushed down into the material the action of the material upon the vertical side 95 and the sloping side 96 is such as to rotate the entire tamping device to work the air pockets out of the material which is to be pumped before entering the pump. Inasmuch as the tamping elements 94 comprise a narrow top as compared to the wider bottom, they have the property of moving a greater quantity of material toward the bottom of the container and in the region of the entrance of thepump uponthe down-stroke. than is. forced. upwardly away from the entrance end ofthe. pump upon the up-stroke.

Inoperation, thetamping elements 94. cleave upwardly throughthe. material because of the inverted channel configuration of the elements 9.4. However, upon downwardly movement ofthe elements 94-, the material-will be trapped in the channeled side of the elements 94 andwill be forced downwardly in the container. Any air pocket which might be caught under thechannel elements 94, is allowed to escape. In the embodiment oi'my tamping device shown in Figures 6 and 7, Ihave constructed the sloping side 96 of the elements94 to terminate at an end i 06 which is spaced from an adjacent portion it! of=the collar 92. This construction provides an'airescapement means. Any similar construction which will provide an escape rout for the trapped air will be satisfactory. Thus, as the elements 94' move downwardly in the material, if an air pocket should get trapped under the channel element, they will be compressed and forced out of the channel between the edge-108 and the edge lcl. Thematerial remaining, then, is substantially free of air and in-condition for pumping.

AlthoughI have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understoodthat the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and-arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a pump and tamping device for dispensing semi-plastic material from a container, said pump having an inlet portion with an inlet opening therein, said inlet portion extending into said material within the container, said tamping device comprising a plurality of tamping elements circumierentially arranged around said pump and rotatively mounted thereon, each said tamping element extending cutwardly from said pump and comprising substantially an elongated inverted channel hav-ing'at least a depending cam side and constituting a groove for directing material toward the inlet opening of the pump, said tamping device being reciprocably and rotatably mounted within said container, means for reciprocably driving said tamping device through the semi-plastic material to tamp the said material toward said inlet opening of the pump, said cam sides of the tamping device camming against the'semi-plastie mate rial and receiving rotating movement by contact with the-semi-plastic material as the tamping device is reciprocally driven there-through, whereby said tamping elements are rotated about said pump to a different position upon each reciprocation.

2. The combination of a pump and tamping device for dispensing semi-plastie'material from a container, said pump having an inlet portion with an inlet opening therein, said inlet portion extending into said material within thecontainer, said tamping device comprising a plurality of tamping elements, each said tamping element extending outwardly from said pump and comprising substantially an elongated inverted channel with downwardly extending sides, one of said sides being substantially vertical and the other of said sides sloping away from the vertical and constituting a cam side, said tamping device being reciprocably and rotatably mounted within said container,.means for reciprocahly driving said tamping device through the semi-plastic material to tamp. the said materialtowardsaid inlet opening, of the pump, said cam sides of thetampingdevicecamming against the semi-plastic materialand receivingrotating movement by contact. with the semi-plastic material as the tamping device is reciprocally driven therethrough, whereby the said tamping elements are rotated about said pump upon each reciprocation.

3. In a pumping device for dispensing viscous material from a reservoir, said pumping device having a cylindrical surface and an inlet opening disposed'within said reservoir, the provision of a tamping device for agitating the viscous material and for urging the material toward the said inlet opening, said tamping device comprising a rotatively mounted annular member mounted'to the pump near the inlet opening, and a plurality of tamping elements circumferentially arranged around the annular member and connected thereto and extending outwardly from the pump, means to reciprocate said tamping device, each said tamping element comprising substantially an elongated inverted channel member having sides defining a longitudinal groove for directing said material toward said pump between said sides, at least one of the sides of the channel member having an end terminating at a spaced distance from said annular member.

4. In a pump adapted to dispense viscous material from a container, said pump having a pump chamber and an inlet portion, said inlet portion being adapted to be inserted into said material in the container, the provision of a tamping device for urging the material toward said inlet portion, said tamping device comprising an adapter collar disposed to encompass said pump, a rim, a plurality of tamping elements extending between said collar and rim, said tamping elements each comprising substantially an inverted channel member having a vertical side and a sloping side. said vertical side being foreshortcned to a vertical depth less than the vertical depth of said sloping side, and means to reciprocally actuate said tamping device longitudinally relative to said pump to engage and move the viscous material toward said inlet portion.

5. In a pump adapted to dispense viscous ma terial from a container, said pump having a pump chamber and an inlet portion, said inlet portion being adapted to be inserted into said material in the container, the provision of a tamping device for urging the material toward said inlet portion, said tamping device comprising a plurality of tamping elements circumferentially arranged around said pump and extending outwardly from the pump and toward the container, said tamping elements each comprising an elongated inverted channel member having depending. sides and constituting a groove for directing said material toward said pump between said sides, means for reciprocally moving the tamping device up and down in the viscous material, said channel members having an air escapement means to permit air entrapped between said sides to be expelled from under the channel members, said channel members upon their downward movement entrapping material thereunder and directing same toward said inlet portion of the pump.

6. In a pump adapted to dispense viscous material. from a container. said pump having a pump chamber and an inlet portion, said inlet portion being adapted to be inserted into said material in the container, the provision of a tamping device for urging the material toward said inlet portion, said tamping device comprising a rotatively mounted adapter collar disposed to encompass said pump, a plurality of tamping elements circumferentially extending around said collar and connected thereto, said tamping elements, each extending outwardly from said collar and comprising substantially an elongated inverted channel member having a first side and a second sloping side constituting a groove for directing said material toward said pump between said sides, said first side being foreshortened to a vertical depth less than the vertical depth of said sec-- ond sloping side, and means to reciprocally actuate said tamping device longitudinally relative to said pump to engage and move the viscous material toward said inlet portion.

KENNETH S. CLAPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

